10 Best Wrestlers Of 2018

6. Charlotte Flair

Seth Rollins Ic Title
WWE.com

Ronda Rousey's blazed her own trail in 2018, but in another historically significant annum for women's wrestling in WWE, Charlotte Flair has been the quiet constant when the organisation have managed to show rather than just tell, tell, tell.

Initially divisive because of the result her WrestleMania 34 victory over Asuka was outstanding nonetheless, proving definitively that she'd become a bankable star on her own terms from underneath the long-looming shadow of her Father Ric. She was given little to sink her teeth into after losing the title she'd so gamely defended against 'The Empress Of Tomorrow' just days after the match, but a SummerSlam win over Carmella and former best friend Becky Lycnh provided a spectacular post-summer jumping off point.

A scintillating rivalry with the 'Irish Lass Kicker' aided Becky's transcendent rebrand as 'The Man', particularly following one of the best WWE singles matches of the year at Evolution. Opportunity knocked for her a month later as Lynch's replacement for a Survivor Series showdown with Ronda Rousey, and Flair made the stroke of misfortune for her friend count double.

Though by no means a carry job, Charlotte's absorbing and exhausting character work elevated the match for both, particularly when things got violent in the post-script. Every woman of any skill can rely on Flair to give her the best match they've ever had - whilst she's often unfairly framed a company "chosen one", she actually does more to earn the spot than some that profess to chase it.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett